As a first year M..D-Ph.D student, I am currently a full-time medical student. Separate from the medical school, I am currently enrolled in Bioengineering 899, an independent study graduate course. My intent is to complete an additional graduate school before the completion of my first two years of medical school. I will spend a summer conducting research in an orthopedics laboratory under the direction of Dr. Lou Soslowsky. Starting my third year (fall 2003), I will be a full-time Bioengineering graduate student spending 40% of my time in my thesis lab while at the same time completing coursework requirements.